Many Australians seek enjoyable and healthy weight loss methods as the number of individuals working sedentary occupations rises. However, it’s easy to be sceptical because of the proliferation of fad weight-loss diets and technologies that promise instant results. However, it’s easy for regular exercise programs to become tedious and unsustainable.
Boxing is excellent for self-defence and a firm tone, but can you lose weight? Boxing is a great all-around exercise since it strengthens your cardiovascular system and muscles. Consequently, your metabolic and heart rates will increase, allowing you to shed more pounds.
Do you want to learn more about boxing in relation to body weight? Here, we’ll explain why and how boxing can help you trim down.
What Is a Boxing Workout?
The warm-up, which involves jumping rope, running, and stretching continuously for 20 minutes, is the most arduous aerobic exercise.
After that, you’ll engage in actual boxing, which consists of three rounds of three minutes each of shadow boxing, bag punching, or pair sparring, followed by a minute of break. Exercises are brief yet intensive, requiring fast strikes and self-defence. This portion of the exercise will increase your endurance and assist in fat loss.
You will cool down for 30 minutes at an average speed after a workout. Resistance training, weight training, and abdominal exercise are all included in the routine.
You don’t consider weariness when facing an opponent; even 90 minutes go very quickly. You are simply concerned about keeping the rhythm. To prevent mental fatigue and boredom.
You’ll feel great even if you are utterly weary after a boxing exercise.
How Many Calories Does a Boxing Workout Burn?
Boxing with a punching bag for one hour will burn around 500 calories while boxing for 90 minutes may burn even 900 calories on average. Boxing with a punching bag for two hours will burn approximately 900 calories.
During a boxing workout, you should train at a tempo that puts your heart into what is known as the “cardio zone.” This zone is defined as having a heart rate between 60% and 75% of your maximal heart rate. When your heart rate is in this range, your body burns more calories, and you lose weight more quickly.
Boxing is superior to brisk walking for the same amount of time and frequency in weight reduction and muscle gain compared to 12 weeks when both forms of exercise are performed four times per week.
After you begin boxing, you will see significant changes throughout your body as you develop and engage in more sparring. In addition, longer exercise sessions burn more fat than shorter ones, and this fat-burning effect may last up to three days after the activity is over, making it simpler to get rid of stubborn belly fat.
Why Boxing is Great for Weight Loss
Boxing is a full-body exercise that simultaneously works for almost all your muscle groups while providing cardio and strength training. Your heart rate and metabolism rise, resulting in weight reduction.
You will need a systematic and persistent technique to lose a few inches off your waistline and reveal your abs.
Boxing is a legitimate choice that needs to be considered for weight reduction. It is a natural approach to shedding extra pounds compared to fad diets.
Since you will be burning those extra calories that cause weight gain, you won’t need to take any magical weight loss pills or put your health in jeopardy by starving yourself or denying your body of the nutrients it requires since you will be able to lose weight without doing either of those things.
Boxing eliminates the possibility of becoming bored with your workout routine. This is due to the dynamic nature of the sport, as well as the several types of training that come with it, which help to keep things exciting.
It is not enough to get into the boxing ring and start fighting; one must also possess a high level of strength and quickness. To prepare for the round, your trainer will have you participate in various types of training, such as jumping rope, lifting weights, and running sprints.
Boxing is an excellent activity for weight reduction, not just because of the fast-paced nature of the sport but also because it is challenging and simply enjoyable. Boxing benefits your health in many ways, including helping you lose weight and reducing stress (you can take out your anger on the punching bag).
How Boxing Helps You Lose Weight
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of successfully reducing weight using some science. Boxing is an excellent cardio exercise that may help you burn 300 to 500 calories in one session. What steps lead to this result?
Boxing is a full-body workout, which, in practical terms, means that each time you engage in a round of sparring, you will be using both your upper and lower body.
You might think of it as two benefits for the price of one when you participate in an intense exercise that targets all of your muscles at once. The body’s fat stores are used as an additional energy source after you enter the fat-burning heart rate zone, which occurs gradually.
When carried out over time, this procedure inevitably results in a loss of fat, which translates to weight loss. When you participate in strenuous physical activity that raises your heart rate, your body will continue to burn fat even after your boxing session. This is one of the many advantages of burning fat in this manner.
Boxing is a great way to get in shape since it helps you lose fat while creating lean muscle. A muscle that does not include any fat is called skeletal muscle. Your metabolism will increase as you add more toned muscle to your frame. The quicker your meal is processed and the less fat stored in your body, the greater your metabolism.
How to Get Started with Boxing
Now, you’re probably thinking about the first step in your quest to lose weight via boxing. Your first alternative is to join a boxing or standard gym with punching bags, mass, and other tools to assist you in getting started with boxing.
Alternatively, you might begin training in the comfort of your home by purchasing the necessary equipment. Wraps and a punching bag are all you need to get started with boxing, although it may seem like a costly endeavour. Purchasing essential boxing equipment at home rather than signing up for a lengthy membership at a boxing gym might be the best way to get into boxing.
Reasons Why Boxing Is The Perfect Workout For Weight Loss
When it comes to becoming in shape, boxing is second to none. Up to 800 calories may be burned in only one hour of boxing exercise. That burns more calories than the same amount of time spent jogging, swimming, or lifting weights.
The technique for weight reduction is simple: consume fewer calories than your body requires daily, creating a caloric deficit that prompts your body to draw upon its fat stores for energy.
Fat cells may be considered biological batteries the body uses to store surplus energy. Consuming consistently fewer calories than your body requires prompts it to rely on stored fat for energy, resulting in weight loss. This leads to weight loss and a more toned physique.
In addition to aiding in weight loss, boxing offers many additional advantages. Learning a self-defence skill like boxing is one such example.
Other upsides include problem-solving abilities, mental acuity, manual dexterity, and physical fitness. You may become the best version of yourself while engaging in the rewarding pastime of boxing. It’s a great way to expand your social circle and practice your people skills.
Now that we’ve covered what it takes to reduce weight, let’s talk about why boxing is such a great way to get in shape:
1. Excellent Way To Burn Calories
When you exercise for an hour, you may burn up to 800 calories. Because of this, achieving a calorie deficit will be much simpler for you. For illustration’s sake, let’s pretend you have set a goal to consume no more than 2000 calories daily.
You can eat up to 2800 more calories daily while still achieving your daily calorie deficit if you burn 800 calories at the gym.
You don’t need to worry about adhering to a highly restricted diet when you burn that many calories daily.
2. Boxing Is A Full-Body Workout
The majority of weight reduction programs emphasise either cardiovascular activity or strength training. Boxing is unique because it engages the upper and lower muscles to provide an exceptional full-body workout.
As you throw punches, you’ll do a lot of work for your upper body while engaging your abdominal muscles with every action. Boxing is a weight-bearing sport, so in addition to exercising your upper body will give your lower body a good workout. Combining these two things is an effective method for toning your complete body.
3. Boxing Builds Muscle
Boxing is an excellent method to eliminate excess fat and helps you gain muscle simultaneously. Boxing is a great way to develop muscle throughout your body since it is a full-body exercise.
This is significant given that muscular tissue expends more calories than fat tissue. Therefore, the more muscles you have, the simpler it will be to reduce your overall body fat percentage and maintain the results.
4. Boxing Improves Cardiovascular Health
Boxing is a great cardiovascular exercise that you may do. It brings your heart rate up and maintains it at that level for a considerable time. Your overall cardiovascular health will improve as a result of this.
And we are all aware that a strong heart is necessary for a healthy body. Therefore, not only may boxing assist you in achieving your weight loss goals, but it can also assist you in achieving your overall health goals.
5. Boxing Reduces Stress
Every day, every one of us has to cope with stress. And although some degree of stress may benefit our health, prolonged exposure to high-stress levels may have the opposite effect.
Anxiety, sadness, and weight gain are all potential side effects of prolonged stress. Finding solutions to lessen stress in our life is essential.
Boxing is an excellent activity for accomplishing this goal. It lets you release all the pent-up stress and anxiety you’ve stored up. Because of this, you will experience improvements in both your emotional and physical well-being.
6. Boxing Boosts Confidence
Boxing helps boost confidence for two reasons. First, as you lose weight and get in shape, you’ll naturally feel more confident about your appearance.
Second, as you learn new boxing techniques and become more skilled, you’ll develop a sense of accomplishment which will also help boost your confidence.
Boxing class doesn’t only help you lose weight and get in shape and gain the confidence that comes with becoming proficient at a new skill.
7. Boxing Is Fun
Because it is also a lot of fun, boxing is a fantastic exercise. It is an excellent method for warding off boredom and providing welcome diversity to your standard exercise program.
In addition, when your boxing abilities improve, you can start fighting in amateur bouts against other boxers. Including this competitive aspect into the sports results in an experience that is much more fun to partake in.
8. Boxing Is Convenient
Boxing is a convenient kind of exercise, which is just another of its many beautiful qualities. Evolve Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has various boxing facilities around the island of Singapore.
Even the most hectic schedules may find time to squeeze in a boxing session since most boxing workouts only run for approximately an hour.
The fact that boxing is so widespread makes training a lot more fun. As soon as you have the hang of things, you may start going to other boxing gyms to spar with people from different backgrounds.
You not only get to observe how things are done at various gyms, but you also have the opportunity to incorporate some of those gyms into your regular training program.
9. Boxing Is Suitable For All Fitness Levels
Boxing is a fantastic kind of exercise that individuals of varying fitness levels can do. Boxing is a very beneficial exercise for anybody at any stage of their athletic career, from beginners to seasoned pros.
If you are new to boxing, you may get your feet wet with fundamental boxing moves and work up to more sophisticated activities as you gain experience. In addition, if you are already in relatively excellent condition, you may increase the difficulty of your boxing exercises to get an even more significant benefit from them.
Boxing is an excellent exercise that everyone can perform, regardless of their current fitness level.
Best Boxing Workouts
Boxing can be an excellent choice if you don’t have much time to devote to your workout routine.
These fat-burning, heart-pumping routines will get you moving for the recommended 2.5 hours of aerobic activity per week. Depending on the specifics of your plan, strength exercises may also be beneficial.
The bag is optional in boxing; you may work out with free weights or other equipment.
The methods used in boxing go well beyond what is seen on television. The adaptations to the original martial arts routines may make this exercise challenging for people of varying fitness levels.
The seven best boxing exercises listed below should be included in your routine.
For Beginners
A fundamental boxing exercise consists of fast bursts of punches and kicks. But before increasing your speed and endurance, you must master these motions and the appropriate approaches.
The following are some fundamental boxing techniques to learn:
jabs
crosses
uppercuts
hooks
roundhouse kicks
front kicks
side kicks
As you improve at these techniques, you may advance to more advanced combinations that strain your core after each twist, such as double hooks, jab cross intervals, and jab side kicks. These are all attainable via steady progress.
For Weight Loss
Cardio boxing may complement your weight reduction regimen with an estimated average calorie burn of 350 to 450 per hour.
You must burn 500 to 1,000 calories daily via food and activity to lose the suggested one to two pounds per week since it takes over 3,000 calories to shed one pound.
You may accomplish this aim by boxing training a few times weekly.
Due to the added strain exercise might place on your knees, you may be hesitant to exercise if you are overweight.
To reduce weight and keep your training low impact, getting in a decent boxing session is still feasible. This may include slower jab-cross movements, lower kicks, and more.
For Cardio
High-intensity cardio kickboxing is often the finest boxing exercise concentrating on cardiovascular fitness. The fundamentals of boxing, like jabs and roundhouse kicks, are taught, although aerobic programs tend to be more rapid-fire.
There may be a little “active” relaxation between circuits, but once the circuit begins again, you should give it your all to keep your heart rate up.
A health club may provide cardio kickboxing with or without using bags. The video above also has a home cardio kickboxing routine you may try.
Heavy Bag Exercises
If you want to shed pounds, try the heavy bag exercise. Depending on your level of dedication, you may see weight loss results from the workout program in as little as a week or two.
Beginning with a boxing warm-up is the first stage in this routine. Jumping rope for 10 to 15 minutes is an excellent way to get warmed up for a boxing workout.
The next step is to put on your boxing gloves and start sparring with a heavy bag—three rounds of 10 minutes each, with a 30-second break in between. Dodging and punching the pack to change directions is integral to this exercise.
Weight loss isn’t the only benefit of punching a heavy bag; you’ll also become more robust, coordinated, and on your feet quicker.
Speed Bag Exercise
One of the activities you may perform to shed pounds is the speed bag workout. It consists of striking an inflated ball hooked up to a rebound platform board from a height.
You should begin by repeatedly striking the ball until it develops a rhythm. You may pick up the tempo of your punches after the ball has established a rhythm. Your body will thank you for it, and your mind will thank you for the effort.
The speed bag exercise can help you shed unwanted pounds in only two weeks while shaping up your upper body.
Jumping Rope Exercise
If you jump rope regularly, you will see a difference in your weight within a few days. When you exercise, your heart rate will rise, and you will eliminate calories from your body.
The jumping rope workout will also prepare you for the following boxing movements.
With weights
When you feel comfortable with your current boxing regimen and are ready for a new challenge, you may include weights in your sessions.
Light dumbbells are suitable for jabbing and crossing. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, you’ll be able to pick up the fundamentals of this game quickly.
Boxing exercises that include weights allow you to gain muscle without abandoning your cardio entirely.
The Best Strength And Conditioning Exercises For Boxing
As a stand-alone exercise, boxing is an efficient discipline. You’ll get in shape very fast and successfully, thanks to it.
Adding strength and fitness to boxing training is an excellent idea. Working on your strength and fitness can help you reach your goal of having a physique that performs at its prime.
Without question, a significant part of boxing is strength and fitness. Elite fighters from all over the world use professionals who are experts in this field to oversee their strength and conditioning.
The top trainers cost millions of dollars. This goes beyond merely being a cost when there is fierce competition. It may mean the difference between success and failure.
For everyone else, improving your strength and fitness may only mean that you can exercise longer and harder or compete more successfully.
We’ve selected a handful of the best strength and conditioning routines for boxing. By including these exercises in your regimen, you’ll be able to move more quickly and fluidly, hit harder, and stay in the fight longer than before. These are the techniques that give boxers their remarkable agility.
These exercises are something you should do if you want to improve your boxing skills. Evolve Daily offers some of the top boxing-specific strength and conditioning drills today.
1. Burpees
It is reasonable to assume that only a few individuals declare that burpees are something they like doing in their own time. They are pretty tricky, and their difficulty often reflects one’s fitness level. First and foremost, burpees are one of the most effective workouts for boxing that you can do.
Your explosiveness, core strength, and stamina will all get a boost with burpees, and you’ll also work your shoulders, triceps, and biceps. It is a full-body exercise that boosts your heart rate immediately, helps you improve endurance and cardiovascular strength, and works all your body’s muscles.
In the sport of boxing, it is, without a doubt, one of the most essential workouts for building strength and fitness.
2. Deadlifts
The humdrum deadlift is often used in bodybuilding workouts to strengthen the trunk and lower back. The hamstrings and glutes are also put to work. Boxers may benefit from any activity that strengthens their abdominal muscles.
Focusing on form rather than weight too quickly is essential while doing deadlifts. You need to break things in slowly.
When lifting, ensure your feet are straight forward, and your back isn’t rounded. When lowering the bar, your knees should be bent slightly, and the action should be vertical.
3. Push-Ups
While push-ups may appear relatively simple, they are incredibly beneficial for building strength and fitness. Push-ups are another one of those exercises that, similar to burpees, get easier to do as your fitness level improves. Push-ups are fantastic for boxing because they put a significant amount of stress on the chest, shoulders, and arms.
They develop your arm endurance, essential for any striking martial art, and enable you to deliver more punches at a higher volume, making them an important component. They also pack the explosive force behind your strikes, giving you that much-desired knockout power.
To get the most out of your push-ups and any other workout, you must ensure you are correctly doing them.
4. Pull-Ups
Pull-ups are just as vital as push-ups since they work oppositely. Pull-ups not only assist in building strength in the upper body but also ensure that the upper back is stimulated, which is a bonus. This is a critical component of the pulling action, used in various clinching scenarios throughout boxing.
On the other hand, pull-ups are among the most challenging exercises on our list. It requires a tremendous strength to do even a single pull-up, much alone a complete series of them.
Start by giving it your all to do at least two to three pull-ups each day, and as your strength improves, work up to increasing that number.
5. Jump Rope
Moving on to the element of boxing that focuses on cardiovascular strength and fitness, we will now discuss the fundamental jump rope.
One of the training items used most often in boxing is the jump rope. It presents a one-of-a-kind challenge to your cardiovascular system that you cannot achieve via any other kind of exercise. Boxers utilise jump rope to improve their fitness and coordination to become more effective fighters.
Don’t let its seeming straightforwardness deceive you. Rope jumping is one of the most severe forms of exercise you’ll ever put your body through. The fact that it is a lot of fun ensures that you will always enjoy it, which is a positive aspect.
6. Agility Ladder
Another excellent boxing exercise is the agility ladder. It emphasises the lower body, helping you learn how to move your legs and feet in unison. Training your footwork, one of the most crucial components of boxing, may benefit significantly from this.
You may work up a heavy sweat and noticeably increase your heart rate on the agility ladder in only a few minutes. It’s great for weight loss since it burns a lot of calories. It significantly improves your mobility and ring generalship by facilitating smooth transitions throughout the arena.
7. HIIT
High-Intensity Interval Training, more often abbreviated to HIIT, is one of the most effective strength and conditioning exercises that you can use in any activity. As we go more into the cardiovascular aspect of things, we discuss HIIT.
In recent years, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has exploded in popularity as a method of preparation for sports or other competitive endeavours and as an approach to general fitness training in more conventional gym environments. It comprises quick, high-intensity workouts that drive you to near 100% capacity for short periods, followed by low-intensity recovery intervals.
Because of the consistent shifts in both your speed and your heart rate, you will experience what is known as an “afterburn effect,” which means that your body will continue to burn calories long after your exercise has ended.
8. Road Work
Every boxer incorporates road work into their regimen, whether spending a few minutes of each training session on the treadmill, as Canelo Alvarez does or doing it outside, as Manny Pacquiao does. It not only helps you build stamina and endurance, but it also helps you concentrate better when you’re working out.
Your heart rate will be elevated ever-so-slightly, but you can keep it at that higher level for a considerable time if you engage in gradual and steady-state cardio. Most boxers work on the road to shed extra pounds and get closer to the weight restriction.
Conclusion
Boxing is one of the best ways to get in shape and reduce weight. You’ll burn a lot of calories, but you’ll have a good time doing it. This will help you reach your weight loss objectives faster. Include boxing in an overall program for weight reduction and maintain a regular training schedule.
This indicates that in addition to boxing, you should maintain a balanced diet, consume a lot of water, and pay attention to how your body feels. Stay away from overworking yourself, and be aware of when to call it a day. You won’t even notice, but in no time at all, you’ll be one or two sizes smaller in no time at all. But most significantly, you’ll improve your physical and emotional health due to this change!
